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I HE COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS AND NATURAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS & SCIENCE EDUCATION
LA,l 1 1 IPE121 IES1 42 COMMUN ICATION SKILLS
COURSE OUTLINE

Course Description
Thrs rntroductory course aims to explore and equip students with communication skills for
academic and occupational purposes. The course rs designed for science and engineertng
students and examines the nature of communication in these two contexts. Particular attention
rs given to wrrting and presentation skills. Examples used refer directly to the science process
skills of observtng. classifying, inferring predicting, experimenting and cornmunicating to
r:ultivate a sense of scientrfic inquiry in the context of academic and professional F-nglish.

Obiectives
. To equip students with tne communication skrlls necessary to perform therr academic
tasks at the university
. To develop competence in communication tasks requrred tn modern rndustry
. To make students active parlicipants in their communities by being effective
communicators

Unit 2: Note making and note taking

. Note format, guides to writing notes (thesis statements toprc sentences and transittonal
markers)
. Actrve Lrstening and readrng skills

Unit 3: Writing Skills

The paragraph and paragraph organisation
Collecting and organising rnfornration
lntroducing a topic and concluding a topic
Documenting Sources

Unit 4: Technical writing (lntroduction)

Definrtrons
When and what to define
How to define
Forms of definitrons

Unit 5: Technical writing (Descriptions)

Accurate rnformation writtng based on observation
What constitutes a detailed descriptron?
How to organise and present a technical description and use of diagrams
 . Descriptions of a technical mechanism
. Description of a technical process
. lnstructions for carrying out a technical process (use of the imperative)

Unit 6: Information from visual sources

Use and value of visual sources in communication
Description of tables and figures
Presentation of information in tables and figures
lnterpretation of Tables and figures

Unit 7: Business Correspondence

Letter layout and forms of address
Business letters and communication principles
Customer relation letters
. Letters of complaint
. Letter of adjustment (Good newsletters and Bad newsletters)
. The Job application Letter
. The Curriculum vitae
. Writing memos, notices, email and fax messages
Unit 8: Speaking Skills
Modes of delivering a speech
Short speeches: off the cuff, making introductions, welcome and vote of thanks)
Organization of a long speech (the introduction, the body and the conclusion)

Unit 9: Meetings and Documentation

Speaking skills in meetings; procedural order of speaking
Role of the Chairperson, Secretary and Ordinary member
Preparation of documents for a meeting: agenda, minutes
Unit 10: lnterviews
lnterview types and purposes
Job and appraisal interview
. Procedure during an interview
. Role of the interviewer during an interview
. Role of an interviewee: preparation for an interview
. Types of interview questions
Unit 11: Report Writing
Various ways of classifying reports
Short Report writing
Schematic presentation (Letter and memo reports)
Preparation and presentation of theses and project reports

Required Readings
1. Sillars, Stuart. (2010). Success in Communication.llth ed. London: Johrr Murray Ltd.
2. Jain, V. K., & Biyani, O. (2007). Business Communication. New Dethi: S. Chand & Company.
3. Huckin and Olsen. English for Science and Technology
3. Mills Gordon H., &WalterJohnA. (1986). Technical Communicaflon.5th Ed. trlewYork. Holt
Rinehad and Winston.
4. Murphy and Peck. (1980). Effective Busrness